Destines Entwined
by Alex Stark
Summary: AU: -Based on the 2008 version- With Helen’s help, Klaatu realized that humans could change. But he knew they needed help and he knew he couldn’t abandon them in their hour of need. But, he also had another reason to stay … Helen. Pairing: Klaatu/Helen
1. The Warrior Returns

**Destinies Entwined** – A _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ FanFic

**Summary:** (Based on the 2008 version) With Helen's help, Klaatu realized that humans _could_ change. But he knew they needed help and he knew he couldn't abandon them in their hour of need. But, he also had another reason to stay … Helen.

**Pairing:** Well, I'm going for a Helen/Klaatu piece. I'm well aware that Klaatu could not comprehend human emotions during his time spent on Earth. I don't want to ruin his unique personality, but I just wanted to give my readers a glimpse of what I hope might be a warmer and slightly more inquisitive side to Klaatu. Plus, the elder of his race whom he met in the McDonald's somehow learned to comprehend love. So, I'm hoping that Klaatu can learn as well. :)

**Rating:** T for some thematic elements, some probable language and possible future adult situations.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _TDTESS_ or anything related to it. I don't own The One who is Keanu Reeves either. Darn.

Reviews are highly appreciated! :)

Do enjoy!

* * *

As she watched Klaatu battle his way through the massive locust storm to the gyrating sphere, she found herself crying out, pleading with him not to abandon them if the worst should happen. With a great amount of effort, Helen tore her gaze away from their guardian and ordered Jacob to cover his head with his arms to protect himself.

Then, before she could do anything else, a blinding white light erupted from the sphere, a massive EMP wave blasted by them, and everything went absolutely still.

Helen opened her eyes slowly, not knowing what to expect once she did. The blinding light was fading, but she still had to squint into the glare to see anything. Then, after staring into the nothingness for what seemed like forever, she could discern a figure striding toward her.

"Thank God." She murmured, relief coursing through her.

She couldn't exactly explain why she was relieved … but she had a feeling she would find out soon enough.

Then, a moment later, Klaatu was standing before her. His somehow world-weary expression was unchanged, but he looked a little beaten. Helen reached out and gently touched his shoulder where his suit was torn and a shallow cut was visible.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly, unsure of his response or if he even felt the minor injury.

Klaatu raised his gaze to hers and his dark brown orbs delved into her own.

"You were worried for me." His statement was more or less a question.

Helen found herself bound by his other-worldly gaze for a moment before she regained control of her voice.

"Yes … I was worried for you. I … I was worried that you wouldn't return." She replied, dropping her gaze so as to try and escape the feeling that he was looking right through her.

Klaatu did not respond immediately, but rather reached out and gently placed his hand on Helen's shoulder, almost mimicking her previous action.

"I would have departed and returned to my home planet. However, I felt that doing so was not the right course of action."

"What was the right course of action?"

"To remain here. To assist your race in reaching your goal of rescuing the Earth from imminent destruction. I feel that your future might be more secure with my help." He finished, his dark brown gaze probing her own.

Helen breathed an immensely relieved sigh, and smiled as she saw Jacob cautiously approaching the two adults. Then, as the full toll of the days events finally came to a climax within her mind, she felt the world sway before her.

"Jacob …" was all she managed before she began to fall gracefully backwards.

"Mom!"

Jacob's panicked cry aroused something deep within Klaatu's sub-consciousness and he immediately leapt forward, managing to catch Helen before she even touched the ground.

"Woah … how'd you do that?" Jacob gave him an impressed look as he gently lifted the unconscious woman in his arms.

"Intuition, Jacob, intuition." The alien responded with the most succinct thing he could come up with.

Then, he turned to the young boy.

"How far is it to where you live? She needs to return home."

"Oh. It's a couple miles. And we don't have a car."

Jacob seemed slightly nervous and Klaatu could tell he was worried for his adoptive mother.

"Don't worry. I'm sure the checkpoint we passed on our way here will be more than willing to help."

Klaatu nodded, more to himself than anyone else, and started off in the direction Jacob had indicated, Jacob following at his heels.

* * *

**A/N:** There might be a slight delay until Chapter II is up. I had a rough draft for this one, and I ended up writing something completely on the fly. Oh well, you know how that goes. :)


	2. A New Home

**And Part II is here!! Hopefully it lives up to expectations! :)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _TDTESS_ or anything related to it. I don't own The One who is Keanu Reeves either. Darn.

Reviews are highly appreciated! :)

Do enjoy!

* * *

"We're here! We're here!" Jacob stated proudly, bounding up the stairs to his front door.

Klaatu quirked an eyebrow at the youngster's antics, but he assumed that the child was simply relieved to be home. As he carried the still-unconscious Helen into the house, he wondered why the child wasn't more fatigued.

The trio had just covered a number of miles on foot and Jacob didn't seem the worse for wear at all. The military personnel at the checkpoint had left by the time Klaatu (toting Helen) and Jacob had arrived, so they were left with no options.

"Jacob, do you have a comfortable cot or something similar she could rest on?"

"What? You mean like a bed? Duh!" Jacob rolled his eyes and motioned down the hallway before turning back to Klaatu. "Oh, I forgot. You're an alien … you don't understand anything."

Klaatu narrowed his eyes in a calculating look at the young boy, but ignored his quip for the second time and made his way down the hall to the room Jacob had indicated. As he entered the room, the first thing he noticed was the intriguing scientific paraphernalia scattered about. But, Helen was his first priority, so he knew to attend to her needs before satisfying his own curiosity. Klaatu gently lowered Helen onto the single bed on the opposite side of the room, then quickly headed back to where Jacob was busying himself in the room where food was apparently prepared.

"Jacob, I need a cloth drenched in cold water." He stated, sending the boy a look that plainly read: _now_.

"Ok! Here ya go!" Jacob quickly handed the alien his request. "Should I be doing anything?"

"I need you not to worry and just relax. Do you have something you can read or a game you can play?"

"Man, I've got loads of games. Don't worry about me." Jacob laughed off Klaatu's oddly protective manner and quickly disappeared into his room and back to his video games.

Klaatu heaved a quick sigh, and hurried back to Helen's room, cold towel in hand.

As he re-entered her room, he approached her bed and quietly pulled her desk chair up to sit on. Then, he gently placed the cold cloth across Helen's brow.

And for several moments, Klaatu took the opportunity to simply look at her. She was such a fascinating creature to him. He had obviously never encountered humans before his arrival on Earth, but she was by far the most intriguing. He knew humans were a destructive and violent race, but somehow Helen defies that description. She is gentle, thoughtful, and intelligent.

Then, a quiet groan escaped Helen's lips and her eyes slowly opened.

Her gaze drifted around the room for a moment, then landed on Klaatu.

"Damn," she cursed as her head throbbed. "How long was I out?"

"Approximately four hours, Helen." Klaatu replied, the corners of his lips quirking upward in the ghost of a smile in a reaction to her choice of words. "And may I ask what precisely 'damn' means?"

"Oh! Ummm …" Helen colored slightly as she realized she had inadvertently cursed at her alien guardian. "It's a term people use when they're angry about something. I wouldn't suggest using it for right now."

Klaatu nodded, and didn't press the matter. He knew she wasn't in any shape to be questioned endlessly.

"Is there anything else that I can do for you, Helen?"

"No … no. Don't worry. I'm just really tired."

"Are you sure? Falling unconscious is sometimes due to brain trauma. Should I contact medical authorities?"

"I'm sure, Klaatu. I didn't hit my head, thanks to you, I guess. I think I'm just going to rest for a while." She gave him a warm smile, and tried to convey her gratefulness through her gaze.

"I will remain here should you need my assistance." Klaatu replied, returning her smile as best he knew how.

As she slowly began to drift off into unconsciousness again, Helen reached out and gently grasped Klaatu's hand. He glanced up, meeting her gaze.

"Thank you, Klaatu, thank you. I am so grateful to you for protecting us." Helen murmured, her eyes drifting shut as sleep claimed her once again.

"You're welcome, Helen." Klaatu replied, giving her hand a gentle squeeze to let her know he was there.

* * *

**A/N** Well, that whole thing was a complete surprise. I had absolutely no idea where I was going with it until I ended up with the last few paragraphs. And I couldn't help including a little fluff … I was in a fluffy mood, what can I say? And we're all craving some Helen/Klaatu quality time. :)


	3. Revelations

**And Part III is here!! I do apologize for its prolonged development, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. :)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _TDTESS_ or anything related to it. I don't own The One who is Keanu Reeves either. Darn.

Reviews are highly appreciated! :)

Do enjoy!

* * *

Over the next few days, Klaatu grew more and more comfortable in the environment of the Benson household. Helen quickly regained her strength and was back in the position of matriarch within 24 hours. Klaatu, however, remained attentive to her as often as he possibly could should she require his aid. She was grateful for his protective nature, but she consistently, albeit gently, turned down his offers of help with average and mundane "human" chores. Things such as transporting laboratory equipment to and from her home or retrieving something heavy from the attic for Jacob did not require his aid.

Then, there was Jacob himself.

Oddly enough, Helen noted, the boy seemed entirely unfazed by having an alien residing in their home. In fact, he seemed to take to Klaatu like a puppy to its owner.

"He wants a father … now he has one." Helen found herself musing on the fourth day of Klaatu's stay. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Jacob so lively or attentive to those around him, aside from when his father was still with them. Now, even though he was from an entirely different world, Klaatu and Jacob were almost bonding as a father and son would.

Seeing as school was long since cancelled and hadn't started up, Jacob spent most of his time dragging Klaatu into his room to show off his impressive collection of video games, action figures, and comics. He would proudly explain what each of them was to the alien, and Klaatu would patiently sit on the boy's bed, examining each of the items with equal and genuine interest.

Whenever Helen would pass by Jacob's open door, she would pause in the shadows of the hallway and watch the interactions between her step-son and the alien who had found his way into their lives. Even though he was completely unaccustomed to their way of life, Klaatu was adapting quite well, in her eyes. He was always very patient with Jacob, and he did not yell at or get frustrated with the boy. And he was the perfect student for Jacob to exercise his "parent training" skills on.

Then, on the fifth day of Klaatu's stay, Helen accidentally leaned too far forward and into the light cast outside the room. Jacob didn't notice, he was far too preoccupied with explaining to Klaatu what a "man-to-man" discussion is. But, Klaatu's ultra-keen senses easily perceived her proximity, and he slowly glanced up to meet her gaze.

He gave her a small, almost knowing, smile, which she quickly returned, then lowered his gaze back to focus on Jacob.

The moment they broke eye-contact, Helen whirled around and braced herself against the wall. She inhaled deeply to slow her hammering heart rate.

"What is going on?" she muttered to herself. "He's an alien, he's … why did he just affect you like that?"

_As you just said, he's an alien_. The small voice at the back of her mind stated snidely.

"But … he's so similar to us. Deep down … we're all just human … aren't we?"

_Maybe …_

Helen shook her head, trying to get Klaatu's unusually handsome visage out of her mind for the time being while she made dinner. Unfortunately, the action wasn't as successful as she had hoped.

That evening, the trio shared an enjoyable dinner in front of the TV. Seeing as Klaatu had never really seen or experienced a TV before, Jacob amused himself by showing the alien how to use the small remote to change channels.

"Let me try something." Klaatu said to Jacob, as the boy started his second circulation of all 170 channels.

Klaatu focused his gaze on the screen, then blinked decisively once, twice, and three times. The channels changed three times.

"Woah! That was so cool!" Jacob exclaimed, begging Klaatu to repeat what he had just done.

Klaatu patiently complied, much to the delight of the boy. Helen couldn't help but laugh quietly at their antics, and Klaatu sent her a small smile, obviously pleased that she enjoyed the show.

He couldn't quite explain it, but every time she smiled at him, he felt a small thrill travel up from his stomach. It was something he had never experienced before, but he was keen to continue experiencing such an enjoyable sensation.

In Klaatu's world, love did not exist. He did not know the definition of it, nor what it meant. Yes, females existed within his race, but they paired singularly with the males solely to keep their population healthy and stable, not for affection or companionship.

After spending the time he had amongst the humans, and the time he had spent researching them, Klaatu had come to realize they did not pair off to increase the population. Human males and females paired with each other for reasons far beyond animal instincts. Klaatu had yet to discover the true feelings behind human relationships, but he realized that he was beginning to feel those feelings.

He could not even begin to place what they were, but they were immensely intriguing.

"She is from an entirely different race … how could it be that I feel these things toward her?" he mused to himself as he watched Helen play with Jacob. "Perhaps … I truly was meant to remain here."

Then, when Helen looked up and saw Klaatu almost staring at her, she blushed slightly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, and gave him a shy smile before turning back to begin tickling Jacob.

"Yes. I _was_ meant to stay here." Klaatu stated, steeling his resolve as he felt the foreign, and yet all-so-familiar, thrill again at her smile.

* * *

**A/N:** Alrighty, Part III was a tad lengthier than the previous installments. I hope that marks a bit of an improvement. ;) I like this chapter … I think it fleshes my Klaatu and Helen out a little more and of course, adds the essential ingredient of Helen and Klaatu trying to figure out why exactly they're feeling what they are when they're around one another. :)


	4. Midnight Meetings

**And Part IV has arrived!! Once again, I do apologize for it's extremely prolonged development, but I hope all of my dedicated readers enjoy it all the same. :)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _TDTESS_ or anything related to it. I don't own The One who is Keanu Reeves either. Darn.

Reviews are highly appreciated! :)

Do enjoy!

* * *

After checking to make sure Jacob finally had his video game turned off and had fallen asleep, Helen closed his door and quietly padded towards her own room. Then, as she reached her door, she noticed Klaatu exiting the bathroom and heading towards the formerly vacant guest room.

During his stay thus far, she had been able to show him how to go about keeping clean and other basic necessities that were completely foreign to him with his new body. She let Jacob review the finer points of male hygiene, but she managed to teach Klaatu how to wash his hair. However, she made sure he had a pair of trunks on for the lesson. He wasn't fazed in the slightest, seeing as he had no idea what embarrassment feels like, but she didn't want to make things awkward.

_Well, no more awkward than they already are._ She mused to herself.

Other than the basics, Helen was surprised to find that Klaatu could take care of himself quite well. He was quick to remind her that he had studies the human race extensively before his arrival. But, he also reminded her that there was still a great deal he needed to learn.

With an apologetic look, he had told her that before his arrival, he hadn't exactly done a thorough examination on human hygiene, hence the reason he needed her assistance.

By the time Helen finished her musings, Klaatu had entered the room and shut the door. As she gazed at the closed door, she couldn't help but wonder what new experiences lay in store for both herself and Jacob. It wasn't everyday you found yourself housing an alien guest under your roof.

Then, as she collapsed onto her bed, she began fretting over what might happen if their carefully constructed environment was discovered by those same government bureaucrat pricks who had collected her at the very beginning of the alien visitation.

They would come banging down her door, rush in as most secret ops teams do, and whisk Klaatu off to some secluded government facility. She and Jacob would never see him again.

Helen felt her eyes suddenly burn with hot tears at the thought, and she immediately felt a strong urge to protect and hide Klaatu from them. Then, as she contemplated the idea, she realized he didn't need much in the way of protection. He had immobilized an entire interrogation force by over-riding the circuitry in the building, and he had crashed two helicopters using nothing more than reversing the laser sights the gunners had trained on him.

_The government agents should be the ones who are worried._ Helen mused laughingly, although worry still prodded at the back of her mind.

Her eyes began to slowly drift shut, and the earlier scenario began playing behind her eyelids like a looped film. And soon, it began to feel all too real.

_The door kicked in … Jacob crying out and running towards the men in strange uniforms … Klaatu trying to keep the boy out of harm's way, but being subdued by a blow to the temple as he tries to reach the boy … Helen herself crying out for them just to leave, but they ignore her, it's as if they can't even hear her._

_Jacob being shoved onto the couch by a passing agent … another brushing forcefully past her … Klaatu being hefted over the shoulder of one of the agents and carried bodily out of the house …_

"Noo! KLAATU!!!" Helen finally screamed, a brief spasm of fear jolting through her body as she realized it had all been a terrifying nightmare.

Then, as she wiped the sweat running down her brow, her door flew open and Klaatu came charging in.

He was clad in nothing more than a pair of pajama bottoms and his hair was rather mussed, but his piercing eyes were alert and fixed concernedly on Helen.

"Are you alright, Helen? I heard you shout my name."

"Yes … yes, I'm alright. I just … had a nightmare … that was all."

Helen heaved a quick sigh, attempting to slow her heart-rate.

"I've never heard of this ailment … are you sure you're alright?" Klaatu gazed at her questioningly.

"I assume you dream, Klaatu?" Helen asked, a slightly curious smile tugging at her lips.

"Yes … I have experienced dreams before. They are mostly meaningless to me. But how does this correlate with a 'nightmare'?"

"A nightmare is a kind of dream. But it's a primarily frightening dream, and sometimes, it feels extremely real. So real, in fact, that people wake themselves up as they react to something within the dream. That's what happened to me."

Klaatu nodded, seemingly satisfied. Then, he turned to return to his own room. But, not before giving Helen another concerned and almost inquisitive glance.

"I'm ok, Klaatu, really. You can go back to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Helen said, her voice calm.

"You will." He replied, not knowing how else to respond.

As he re-entered his own room, he sat down on the bed, lost in thought. He knew there was a slim chance of falling asleep again in the near future.

All of this was so new to him, and so foreign. Nightmares, human emotions … his body itself.

_I cannot comprehend how Mr. Wu integrated himself into this race so easily. It's difficult and complicated … but I want to stay._

He glanced up, his piercing brown eyes roving around the room. Then, as he returned to his previous train of thought, he came to realize something.

_Perhaps it was just as difficult for him as it is for me … perhaps he decided humans were worth the sacrifice. **I** know these humans are worth the sacrifice._

He glanced up again, this time looking in the direction of Helen's and Jacob's rooms.

And as he finally lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes, Klaatu smiled, his final conscious thoughts being of his "family".

* * *

**A/N** Once again, I truly apologize for the time it took for this chapter to get published. I've been absolutely swamped lately, and I just haven't found the time to write. Subsequently, Part IV is my least favorite thus far. :( But I'm happy to say that schedule is officially over. I'm hoping to be updating far more frequently in these next few months.

I have absolutely no idea how long this story is going to end up being, but all I know is I'm enjoying the ride getting there and I hope all of you are too. ;)

**PS** Sorry everyone, after re-reading this for the upteenth time, I realized there were are few errors that needed to be fixed. Thus, I uploaded the re-edited version. Sorry if this confuses anyone.


	5. Meeting Mr Anderson

**Ladies and Gentlemen:**

**I am proud to present … Part V!!**

**Ahem, well, pardon the theatrics. It's no better than any of the other chaps, so … just ignore my randomness. ;)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _TDTESS_ or anything related to it. I do not own anything related to _The Matrix_ ... all names and characters are the property of their original owners. I'm just playing with them and they will be returned in pristine condition. ;)

I don't own The One who is Keanu Reeves either. Darn.

Reviews are highly appreciated! :)

Do enjoy!

* * *

The next morning, the sun rose just as it always did. Sunlight streamed through the half-closed blinds of both Helen and Klaatu's rooms, falling rudely across the faces of the occupants, and slowly bringing them to consciousness.

Helen reacted to the nuisance by cursing groggily and pulling her pillow over her head to shield her eyes from the light.

Klaatu felt inclined to blink several times in rapid succession to try and adjust to the sudden brightness, but found the attempt to be less than successful. So, he rose from his comfortable bed, crossed to the window and proceeded to figure out how to work the blinds.

His first attempt yielded no change whatsoever. On his second try, he managed to accidentally roll the blinds all the way to the top of the window.

_How in Zarthain* is one supposed to work this contraption?!?_

Klaatu glared at the object of his frustration, then grabbed hold of it and yanked the blinds all the way to the bottom of the sill. They remained stationary, but the slats were not completely closed. He carefully reached forward and ran his palm over the blinds, finally managing to close the slats.

He heaved a vindicated sigh, and turned to exit his room for the bathroom. Then, he heard an almighty "thwap!" and turned to find the blinds neatly rolled up at the top of the window.

Klaatu groaned inwardly but couldn't think of any course of action to combat his apparently immovable opponent.

Then, before he could take a step towards the window, Helen appeared in the doorway with an extremely confused look on her face.

"Klaatu … what on Earth have you been doing in here?" she asked, raising one hand to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"I have been attempting to keep this shield of sorts over the window in order to keep out the sunlight. Thus far, I have been unsuccessful." He admitted, a slight trace of bitterness in his normally inscrutable tone.

"Good grief, that's all?"

Helen couldn't help but chuckle as she crossed to the window, lowered the blinds and twisted the cord hanging along the side of the sill to shutter them completely.

"See? It's not that hard." She smiled at the alien, and nearly burst out laughing as a look of absolute indignation crossed his regal visage.

Helen gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder as she exited his room and headed for the bathroom. He watched her go, and heaved a frustrated sigh.

_It seems I'll never get accustomed to the odd inventions scattered across this planet._

_

* * *

_

"Jacob! Klaatu! Do the two of you want breakfast or not?!"

Helen called out for the third time, knowing full well her stepson and his newfound guardian were buried in a video game.

_Oh well … I guess I'll just start by myself._

She selected three pancakes out of the batch she had made, and headed to the table, butter and syrup in tow.

Just as she had sat down and was about to take a bite, both Jacob and Klaatu entered the room, expectant looks on both of their faces.

"Your food is in the kitchen. Serve yourselves, I'm already settled." She gave her stepson a sly grin as the boy rolled his eyes and stalked off to the kitchen, followed closely by Klaatu.

Several moments later, the two males had found their way back to the table with plates heaped with pancakes. Jacob looked perfectly content with the stack of 6 on his plate, but Klaatu looked slightly intimidated. Helen could immediately tell his pancakes were courtesy of Jacob.

"Jacob …"

"What, Mom?"

"Did you help Klaatu with his pancakes?" she gave her stepson a raised eyebrow.

"Well, duh! He doesn't know what a man's meal is so I had to show 'im!" Jacob rolled his eyes playfully at his stepmother and proceeded to begin shoveling syrup-drenched pancakes into his mouth.

Helen grinned, and turned her gaze to Klaatu, her eyes glinting with suppressed laughter.

"Well … I can say that I have never heard of the term 'a man's meal' before, but they do look quite appetizing. What did you call them?" he held up a small piece of one of his pancakes on his fork.

"They're called pancakes … and thank you for the compliment on my cooking."

Klaatu nodded, then took a bite. Then, he nodded again vigorously.

"The compliment is certainly well-deserved! These pancakes are delicious!" he exclaimed, his expression an interesting mix of amazement and enjoyment.

Helen smiled at his reaction, and nodded graciously, accepting the compliment. Then, she thought of something. Granted, Klaatu was extremely intelligent and already knew a great deal about the human race and its history. However, he was very inexperienced when it came to daily activities. What about a trip to the museum? He'd love all the bits and pieces of history that most people took for granted. Yes, the museum would be a perfect excuse to get them all out of the house for a while.

"Hey you two, what do you say to heading over to the museum today?" she asked, watching as Jacob gave her a confused look.

"Um … why?"

"We haven't been out of this house in at least four days. I think we all need some outdoor time. Are you up to it, Klaatu?" she met his gaze and waited for his response.

"I will certainly accompany you to the museum. Where is it?" he replied, keeping his gaze locked with Helen's.

"Oh, about half an hour away. We'll take the car. And we're going to need to bundle up a bit. You need more clothes than those pajama bottoms and that t-shirt. Hold on, I'll be right back."

She quickly left the table and padded down the hall to her room and disappeared for several minutes.

"What is she doing?" Klaatu questioned, giving Jacob an inquiring look.

"I dunno. Probably trying to find some clothes that'll actually fit you." Jacob shrugged, then went back to devouring his pancakes.

Finally, a number of minutes later, Helen re-appeared with a pair of jeans, black long-sleeve cotton shirt, and a black winter jacket folded over her arm.

"Here. Take these, go change, and we'll get going as soon as the two of you are ready." Helen handed the clothes to Klaatu and ushered him off to the bathroom before turning to Jacob.

"You too, buster."

"Alright, alright … I'm goin'." Jacob replied playfully, bounding down the hall to his room.

Once the two boys were off, Helen returned to her previous train of thought. A name for Klaatu.

_He certainly can't assimilate into our world with a name like Klaatu. But how am I supposed to know what name suits him?_

She sat down again at the table as she began to think of various names.

"Dylan … no. Alex … no. Ted … no. Wait, why am I trying to do this? Shouldn't he be able to come up with a suitable name for himself?" Helen mused aloud, realizing a moment later that Klaatu was standing in the doorway.

"Would Thomas Anderson be a suitable name for this planet?"

She glanced up, shocked at his ability to piece together a name so quickly.

"Um … sure. As long as you like it. I mean … I like it too … it's a nice name." She replied, mentally berating herself for stumbling over her words as she realized how attractive he looked in the clothes she had selected for him.

The shirt hugged his torso nicely, the jeans fit him to a "t", and the jacket only added to his elegant and slightly intimidating aura.

_You just had to do that to yourself, didn't you, Helen?_ She mentally slapped herself.

"Well, you're ready to go. Why don't you go get Jacob and we'll head out."

She smiled as he went to collect his "adoptive son" and returned moments later.

"Ready?" Helen asked, looking at both Jacob and Klaatu.

"Yep!" Jacob replied, smiling happily.

Klaatu, or Thomas, smiled as well and gave a brief nod.

"Great! Let's go." Helen said, leading her "family" out to the garage and into the car.

* * *

*This is Klaatu's home planet. It is entirely fictitious, and of my own invention. Please do not use this name in any other works.

**A/N** I will admit this was written completely on the fly. No prior planning was involved. Lots of little things helped inspire the various parts of it (listening to the _Matrix Reloaded_ soundtrack, and a viewing of _The Lake House_ being two of many). Coming up in Part VI: the visit to the museum. :)


	6. Shielding a Son

**Ahem! May I introduce … Part VI.**

**I fervently hope that all of my dedicated readers have not lost faith in me after so long a break between publications. :( **

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _TDTESS_ or anything related to it. I don't own The One who is Keanu Reeves either. Darn.

Reviews are highly appreciated! :)

Do enjoy!

* * *

As Helen expertly wove through the minimal traffic on their way to the museum, she wondered just how much of Earth's various pieces of technology had actually been demolished. There was still enough electricity to get by on with everyday tasks. Cars still worked … standard jet liners and trains were a different matter. Televisions worked, but nearly all of the computer servers across the globe had crashed and been rendered useless. Phone lines were down … now all that was left were cell phones.

As if by instinct, she felt in her pocket for her own phone, making sure it was there.

Then, she glanced in the rearview mirror to look at Jacob.

"So, where should we take Klaatu first?"

The boy looked up, a thoughtful expression on his face. Then, his eyes brightened and he opened his mouth to reply:

"The cave man exhibit! He'll love that!"

Helen gave a soft laugh at her stepson's enthusiasm for the trip, then turned to Klaatu and spoke in an undertone.

"He'll be dragging you all over the museum. Are you ok with that?"

Klaatu met her gaze and nodded solemnly.

"Of course it's alright. It is such a wonder to see this world through the eyes of a child like Jacob."

His response nearly stunned Helen, it sounded so … _human_. But, she reminded herself, this was still his first time visiting Earth. He was literally experiencing it as though he was a child. But this time, he could experience it without the nagging thought of bringing destruction and mayhem upon its inhabitants looming over the horizon.

* * *

The rest of the trip passed rather uneventfully, and they arrived at the museum with little fanfare. Helen pulled into the almost deserted parking lot and selected a spot very close to the entrance. The trio got out of the car and headed towards the elegant front doors of the museum, Jacob dragging Klaatu behind him.

Helen smiled as she watched her stepson and his newfound "father" venture through the doors, then turned to the attendant in the office window and paid their entrance fee.

However, what she failed to notice was the attendant picking up his cell phone and dialing the police as she followed the two boys.

"911, state your emergency."

"Yeah, this is David Westen from the American Museum of Natural History. Three guests just came in and I think they're the ones that were being tracked by the cops during the invasion … yeah, it's the guy and the woman … and there's a kid with 'em. … Ok, I'll be waiting."

Jacob and Klaatu finally arrived at the Stone Age exhibit, and the boy was eagerly showing his guardian around. Klaatu was already aware of the evolutionary path humans had taken since the Stone Age, having read up on such matters before his departure to Earth. However, he found it to be much more fascinating to reach out and be able to actually touch a part of history than read about it in some long-forgotten text in the library located on his planet.

"… and these are all the spears and stuff they used to hunt and kill mammoths. It was so awesome!" Jacob explained to Klaatu before dragging him over to show him the exciting chase scenes depicted on the cave paintings.

"Fascinating … truly fascinating." Klaatu replied, playing along with the young boy even though he already knew the things being presented to him.

Helen stood off to the side of the room, simply watching her two "boys". She couldn't even begin to explain how wonderful it was for Jacob, who had gone so long without having someone to spend quality "father-son time" with, to have someone like Klaatu. He was always so patient and he never ignored the boy.

She was well aware that Klaatu could lash out in a split second and possibly kill either of them, just as he had done with the state trooper, but she also knew he would never do that. The alien had proven to them that he was not inclined to violence and preferred peace over struggling. He had also saved Jacob once … and the two had formed a unique connection ever since.

Then, she was abruptly yanked out of her daydreaming.

Klaatu had grabbed Jacob's shoulders, propelled him into the exhibit and behind the huddled group of Neanderthal models and ordered him to stay put. The alien was obviously extremely agitated and once he had hidden the boy, he approached Helen.

"Go to your son and stay hidden."

His tone allowed no room for argument; it was an order.

"Why? Klaatu, what's happening?" Helen was frightened, she had no idea why Klaatu was acting so strangely.

She could see Jacob looking at her from his secluded hiding place, confusion and fear written plainly on his face. She could do no more than send him a comforting look and motion for him to stay put.

"Police forces are approaching this room. They are here for me and they will take you as well if given the chance."

"But how? Everything's over, how did they find us?"

"I don't know … but I don't want you to–"

_**Bam!**_

Klaatu was cut off as the side doors to the room were thrown open and several fully armed SWAT officers came bursting in.

"Both of you, hands up! … Put your hands behind your head and kneel on the ground! … Don't move!"

The scattered orders bombarded Helen's senses and she quickly complied, lowering herself onto her knees and lacing her fingers behind her head. The SWAT team cautiously approached, their laser sights trained on both Klaatu's and Helen's chests. Then, Helen realized Klaatu had not moved. He was still standing and didn't seem inclined to be kneeling any time soon.

"What are you doing?! Get down!" she hissed, yanking on his pant leg in a futile attempt to gain his attention.

Klaatu did not respond; he simply kept his gaze trained on the approaching officers as though staring them down.

"I'll ask you once more, get down on the ground with your hands behind your head!" the lead officer ordered.

"No."

"That wasn't a suggestion, that was an order, buddy! Down on the ground!"

The lead officer unlocked the safety on his Glock and all of the laser sights on his men's automatic rifles were immediately trained on Klaatu.

He turned slightly and met Helen's gaze, a protective glint in his eye. She looked up at him and mouthed: _Don't get hurt, please._ He gave an almost invisible nod, then turned back to face the SWAT team.

"I apologize for my refusal to comply with your orders. The pain will only last for a moment."

**To be continued …**

* * *

**A/N:** I shall end here on a rather interesting cliffhanger; I hope this doesn't frustrate my readers. The next installment is currently already in the works, so I hope to be following up with Part VII soon! :)


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